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William Perfect
Dr. William Perfect (1737 - June 1809) was an English poet and physician. Life Perfect was born in Oxford, England,Parish register, St Cross, Holywell, Oxford the son of William Perfect (1712-1757), a clergyman of Huguenot extraction who was vicar of East Malling, Kent, from 1745.Black, p.2 He Perfect was educated at the grammar-school at Maidstone.Dr. William Perfect (1737-1809), English Poetry, 1579-1830, Center for Applied Technologies in the Humanities, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Web, Sep. 4, 2016. In 1749, Perfect apprenticed under William Everred, a London surgeon,Black, p.10 for seven years and attended lectures by Colin MacKenzie, a Scottish obstetrician.Black, p.12 He opened his medical and obstetric practice in High Street, West Malling, Kent in 1756,Black, p.14 and he obtained his Medicinae Doctor (M.D.) from St Andrews University in 1783.Black, p.64 He published three editions of his book, Cases in Midwifery, 1781-1787, and each edition contained case reports describing in detail the conditions of the patients and the treatments which were administered. In the 1760s, with Humphrey Porter, a doctor at Aylesford, Kent, Perfect conducted an extensive programme of inoculation against smallpox, in Kent and further afield.Black, p.44 Also in the 1760s, he began to accommodate mentally ill people in his home, a practice that continued until his death in 1809, when his son George took over until 1815.Black, pp. 50ff The West Malling Asylum, which soon after moved to Malling Place, West Malling, continued to function through the 20th century as a principal private mental hospital in the county. Perfect published three collections of poems and a series of oft-reprinted medical books on insanity. From 1778 to 1809 he published a series of psychiatric case reports in several editions, originally entitled Methods of Cure in Some Particular Cases of Insanity, later Select Cases in the Different Species of Insanity, and finally Annals of Insanity.Black, p. 61 In the edition in 1809, Perfect wrote that he was presenting the results of his practice and observations. In advertising the second edition, he offered a revised, corrected, and enlarged book. Cases of mania and depression were described in detail as well as cases of alcoholism, and attempted and successful suicides. The treatments prescribed to patients were recorded in detail, including the medications prescribed by the physician. Electricity was used with good results in some cases. He was convinced of the role of heredity, and recognized the involvement of the brain, its vessels, and its membranes. In one case report, he noted how “gentle treatment contributed much to the case and should always be adopted in preference to rigorous measures (where possible).... The proper management ... is more to be depended upon than medicine, but when both are judicially and humanely blended, the patient has always the best chance of recovery.” Perfect joined the Freemasons in 1765, following the early death of his first wife Elizabeth Shrimpton (1735-1763), and became Provincial Grand Master of Kent from 1795 until his death.Black, pp. 35ff In 1795, the Freemasons' magazine published his memoirs. He published prose and poetry: A Bevin of Bays in 1763, and a two-volume collection, The Laurel-Wreath, in 1766. Perfect died in June 1809, and was buried in East Malling churchyard. Publications Poetry *''A Bavin of Bays: Containing various original essays in poetry''. Rochester, UK: privately published, 1763. *''The Laurel-wreath: Being a collection of original miscellaneous poems, on subjects moral, comic, and divine''. (2 volumes), London: privately published, 1766. *''Poetic Effusions: Pastoral, moral, amatory, and descriptive''. London: A. Paris, for A. Milne, 1796. Non-fiction *''Methods of Cure, in Some Particular Cases of Insanity: The epilepsy, hypochondriacal affection, hysteric passion, and nervous disorders''. Rochester, UK: privately publihed, printed by T. Fisher, 1777. *''An Address to the Public: On the matter of insanity''. Rochester, UK: privately publihed, printed by T. Fisher, 1778? *''Cases in Midwifery: With references, quotations, and remarks''. (2 volumes), Rochester, UK: privately published, printed by T. Fisher, 1781, 1784. Volume I, Volume II *''Select Cases in the Different Species of Insanity''. Rochester, UK: W. Gillman, / J. Murray, London / J. Bew, London, 1787. *''A Remarkable Case of Madness: With the diet and medicines, used in the cure''. Rochester, UK: W. Gillman, et al, 1791. *''Annals of Insanity: Comprising a variety of select cases in the different species of insanity, lunacy, or madness. London: privately published, printed by Chalmers, 1800. ''Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:William Perfect, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Sep. 4, 2016. See also *List of British poets References *Shirley Burgoyne Black, An 18th Century Mad-Doctor: William Perfect of West Malling. Otford, Kent: Darenth Valley Publications, 1995 Notes External links ;Poems *Dr. William Perfect (1737-1809) info & 47 poems at English Poetry, 1579-1830 ;About *[https://muse.jhu.edu/article/4154 review of An Eighteenth Century Mad-Doctor: William Perfect of West Malling] Category:1734 births Category:1809 deaths Category:18th-century English medical doctors Category:British obstetricians Category:British poets Category:People from Oxfordshire (before 1974) Category:Alumni of the University of St Andrews Category:British psychiatrists Category:British male poets Category:18th-century poets Category:English poets Category:English physicians Category:English-language poets Category:Poets